The present invention relates generally to transportable containers and, more particularly, to a tote having a hanger for hanging the tote on an upright member.
Ice totes and similar containers are commonly used in the food handling industry. More particularly, it is common for an ice tote to be used to haul ice from the bin of a bulk ice making machine to a drink station at which ice is removed from the ice tote and ultimately loaded into cups. In a similar manner, ice totes are used to haul ice to a chilling station, such as at a grocery store or fishmonger where fish and seafood are kept under ice.
Conventional hand-transportable ice totes are defined by a base supporting an annular wall that extends upward from the base to form an open top. A bail is connected at opposite external sides of the annular wall to facilitate hand carrying of the tote. The base typically has a flat exterior surface that allows the tote to sit sturdily on a planar surface, e.g., floor, table, or shelf, when being loaded or stored. This placement of the ice tote can result in several feet in distance between the point at which ice is collected from the ice making machine and the ice tote itself.
In a typical loading operation, an ice scoop will be plunged into the bin of the ice making machine such that ice is loaded thereon. For many ice scoop designs, the amount of ice initially loaded onto the scoop cannot be maintained during the movements the scoop experiences as it is lifted and pulled from the bin and then brought adjacent to the floor supported ice tote and then tipped to drop the ice into the ice tote. The greater distance between the ice tote and the ice making machine bin, the greater likelihood that ice will fall off the scoop. Moreover, given that so much of the distance between the ice tote and the ice bin is external to the ice making machine, any ice that prematurely falls off the ice scoop is likely to fall onto the floor around the ice making machine. This loss of ice can lead to several undesirable conditions. First, the time to fill the ice tote is increased. Second, the ice in the ice making machine bin is exposed to the warmer, ambient air for a greater time period resulting in a thermal loss. Third, ice that falls to the floor is wasted. All of which negatively impacts the efficiency of the ice making machine. In addition, ice, as well as any unrecovered thawed ice on the floor presents a slippery and potentially unsafe working condition.
If an ice tote is not hung by its bail on a wall or the like it will usually rest on the floor. This creates two additional problems. First, the bottom of the tote will be contaminated and a user's hands can then become contaminated when the tote is handled or hoisted from the bottom. Second, if the tote is filled while sitting on the floor, lifting a full ice tote off the floor can cause unnecessary back strain.
The present invention provides an ice tote with a bail and a hanging device connected to the bail to enable the ice tote to be hung off an upright wall of the bin of an ice making machine when the ice tote is being loaded with ice. In one embodiment, the hanging device is connected to the bail such that rotation of the bail causes rotation of the hanging device. Thus, when the ice tote is being hung on the ice bin, the bail is automatically rotated downward away from the open top of the ice tote. With this construction, it is not necessary for a user to manually move the bail from interfering with loading ice into the ice tote. Further, when the bail is rotated upward, the hanging device is automatically rotated away from the upright wall of the ice bin to disengage the upright wall. A user therefore is not required to lift the loaded ice tote upward away from the ice bin to dislodge the hanging device from the ice bin.
In a further embodiment, the hanging device is constructed such that when the hanging device is in a fully engaged position, the bail is clear of the opening to the ice tote, but is also spaced from the exterior surface of the ice tote. Maintaining this spacing between the bail and the side of the ice tote makes grabbing of the handle easier and quicker, especially, if the user is wearing gloves.
In yet a further embodiment, the hanging device and the bail are made of separate wires that are welded or otherwise fastened together. In another embodiment, the hanging device and the bail are formed of a single piece of wire. In either embodiment, it is contemplated that a conventionally outfitted ice tote may be retrofitted to have a hanging device in accordance with the present invention.
Therefore, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a storage container is provided that seeks to overcome many of the drawbacks associated with ice totes and other containers of the prior art. The storage container is an open-topped vessel into which ice or other material may be loaded. A bail is mounted to opposite sides of the vessel. A hanging device is connected to the bail, and allows the storage container to be hung on an upright member for loading of material therein or for storage.
In accordance with a further aspect, the hanging device pivots with pivoting of the bail, and vice-versa. Thus, when the container is hung on an upright member, the bail is automatically moved to one side of the container. Similarly, when the bail is rotated upward to a position above the container, the hanging device is automatically rotated from a downward facing position to a sideways facing position. In this regard, when the container is hanging on an upright member by virtue of the hanging device being in a downward facing position, rotation of the bail will cause the hanging device to rotate in a manner that releases its retention on the upright member, and disengaging the container from the upright member.
According to another aspect of the invention, a bail with an integral hanging device is provided.
According to yet another aspect, the invention may be used to retrofit a conventional container to have a bail with an integral hanging device.
The present invention will be described with respect to an ice tote, but as will be made apparent from the following description, the invention is also applicable to other hand-transportable containers adapted to carry or store other types of material. In this regard, the use of the term “tote” shall include but not be limited to containers, vessels, receptacles, reservoirs, buckets, kettles, pails, cans, pots, canisters, and the like.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.